Improvement in hoisting apparatus



0.1a. & N. P.0TIS] HOISTING APPARATUS.

No. 113,555. Patented-April, 1871.

j drawing forming part pa e em CHARLES aflorrs AND NORTON 2. pr son YONKERS, NEW YORK.

Letters Patent No. 113,555,. dated April 11, 1871;.

IMPROVEMENT IN HOISTING APPARATUS.

The Schedule referred to ill H1859 Letters Patent and making part of the name;

To all whom it may concern 4 Be it known that we, CHKRLES R. OTIS and Non- TON P. OTIS, both of Yonkers, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hoisting Apparatus, of. which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had-to the accompanying of this specification, and in which- I t Figure 1 represents a side elevation, with thecar, cab, or platform in section, of a hoisting apparatus 7 having our invention applied to it; and

. Figure 2, a horizontal section taken as denoted by l the line a: a in fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

I This invention consists in novel means, of produc ing the operation of. the stop-pawls in the ratchets ,providedflon the 4 upright guides between which the oar, cab, 01' platform works; and-of producing the operation of a friction-brake to provide against accident house of the breaking of the lifting-rope; and incases where the said rope doesnot break, as, for instance, where its weight in slackening might be snfiicient to prevent the action of the stops; and to provide generally against accident consequent on any tendency to the too lapid descent of the cab, car, or hoisting-platform, or in case of the slackening of the lifting-rope from whatever cause; such means to be used either alone or in addition to other means which maybe employed to elfect the said stoppage, or check the dc.- scentof the cab, car, or platform under similar circumstances.

The invention likewise includes a combination of a 3 weight and a hrake-lever'with the stop-lever of the engine, for the purpose of arresting the driving-power. of the apparatus in case of the hoisting.

Referring to the accompanying drawing Arepresents an outside frame; and

B, a door at top of the hoist-way.

O O are the guides or posts, up or down within which the car, cab, or platform D of the hoisting appamtus works.

E is the hoisting-drum; and

g F, the engine for operating the same, both arranged to occupy a lower position relatively to the rest of the appaiatus.

G is the lifting-rope, made fast at its one end to the hoisting-drum E, and-arranged to run up over a sheave or pulley, H, situated at the ,top of the hoist-way, and from thence down to the levers of the usual stop-pawls o c, which are connected with the car and are under the control of a spring, 11, to cause them to lock with safety-ratchets or racks I I in case of the hoisting-rope breaking, or 'of its slackening during the descent of the;

car.

The sheave or pulley H, over which the lifting-rope passes, has its axle e hung in boxes j, which are fitted to slide in an upright stat-ionarytguide, J.

These boxes are connected by a chain or rope, K,

passing over pulleys g g, with a brake-lever, L, to

which is attached a weight, L, that, when in. action, applies the brake-strap -h to a wheel. W, fast on a shaft, i, which carries a safety-drum, M, arranged at top of the hoist-way.

N and Nare ropes, made-fast at their one end to the safety-drum M, aroundi 'which they 'pass, or are wound in reverse directions.'

The free end of the 'rope N has ttached-to it a counterbalance, O, which servesto revolve the safety.

drum and wind up the safety-rope N during 'the ascent of the platform.

lfhe free end vof the safety-rcpe N' is connected with the levers of a second set of stop -pa'wls, k k, that, when released, are also made to bite or gear, by the action of a spring, I, with the ratchets I I.

Connected with the stop-lever m of the engine is a rope or chain, P, arranged to run over pulleys n, and made fast to the brake-lever L, so that, when said lever is lowered by the weight L, to apply the brake to the safety-drum, the rope P pulls on the stop-lever m to,

shut off steam from the engine, and thereby arrest the movement of the lifting-rope.

When the weight of the car, cab, or hoisting-platform D is on the' lifting-rope G'the said rope draws down the sheave or pulley H and its axle-boxes within the guide' J, and so acts upon the chain or rope K as to lift the brake-lever L and the weight L,and thereby prevent its action on-the brake; but in case of the breakage of the hoisting-rope, or its slackening from any cause, the pulley H is free to rise under the influence of the weight L, which is thereby caused to take np'the slack of the lifting-rope G, and so prevent it from getting foul of the gearing or any other part of the apparatus. The said weight, at the same time, causes the lever L to act upon the brake and stop the safety-drum M, while the stop-pawls with 'whichthe hoisting-rope is connected are left free to act upon the ratchets I I.

In case of the safety-rope from any cause the second set of stop-pawls h It will bite or gear with the racks LI, thus giving additional security, especially in case the stop-pawls c c, owing to the weight L not taking up the slack of the liftingrope' sufficiently, or if, from any other cause, the weight of the slack of the lifting-rope should hold back the said pawls c c.

A spring of snflicientstrength and range of action breaking or slackening might be applied to operate the movable sheave H and brake-lever instead of and as an equivalent to the weight L.

What is here claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. The employment, in connection with a safety hoisting apparatus, of the sheave H', arranged ,to change its axial position automatically in case ot'aceident or derangement to any part of the apparatus with which itis connected, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the movable sheave H and connected weight with the lifting-rope, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

3. The combination of the movable sheave, its connected weight, and the stop-lever or throttle-valve of the engine, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

4. The combination of the movable sheave H with the brake-lever L of the safety-drum, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

5. The cab or platform, constructed with two sets of stop-pawls, c e and k is, arranged to operate independently of each other, substantially as specified, for thelpurpose of obtaining greater safety.

' 6. The combination of the two independent sets of stop-pawls with each other and with the lifting and safety-drum ropes, substantially as herein set forth.

7. The counterbalance O and its rope N in combination with the safety-drum M and its rope N. substantially as described.

,OHASQI'R. OTIS.

NORTON P. OTIS.

Witnesses J L. CYLNBURG, GEORGE KEEFER.

8. The combination of the brake-lever L of the 

